JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report
Could the launch of the REM light rail service in the West Island trigger cuts to the Exo train services – including to the Vaudreuil-Hudson commuter line that also serves the West Island?
It’s a question that needs to be considered seriously, says Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon.
The approaching launch of the REM light rail service in the West Island could trigger cuts to the Exo train services, with officials currently studying the impacts.
Earlier this fall, reports surfaced that highlighted officials at both Exo and the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) have expressed concern over the potential for reduced train ridership on the existing commuter train lines once the REM light rail service to the West Island begins.
According to Radio-Canada, which obtained one of the ARTM’s reports in September, the commuter service is examining the possibility of making cuts to several lines, including the Vaudreuil-Hudson line that makes stops along the West Island’s lakeshore.
In a statement soon after, the ARTM attempted to assuage fears of cuts, stating that “all stones are being turned over to analyze the performance of all public transit services (. . . ) At this stage, the avenues studied are preliminary. They are not for decision or implementation, particularly in the case of trains.”
This offered no satisfaction to Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon, who says many in the off-island area depend on the train. He described how the CAQ government has doled out well over a billion dollars to fund the REM network, while also putting hundreds of millions in funding toward the Exo train service – two forms of public transit which, due to the close proximity of their stations in the West Island, are likely to compete for ridership.
“It’s so hard to understand the final goal of the government,” Pilon added. “Promote (public) transportation? Or cut (public) transportation?”
The Vaudreuil-Hudson line stretches to the Lucien-L’Alier station in downtown Montreal. Starting in Hudson, the line makes two stops each in Vaudreuil-Dorion and Île Perrot. The line also makes nine stops in the West Island en route to the city centre. If the number of commuters who access the Exo train in the West Island drops – with users opting to take the REM instead once it is in service – the drop in fare revenue could put the financial viability of the Vaudreuil-Hudson train in question.
If a significant loss of ridership and revenue for the ARTM in the West Island potentially leads to cuts for some Vaudreuil-Hudson services, that could mean hundreds more cars on roads attempting to cross the Île aux Tourtes Bridge along Highway 40 or the Taschereau Bridge, which links Vaudrueil to Île Perrot along Highway 20.
Data provided to The 1510 West by Exo shows that more than 1,300 commuters in Vaudreuil-Soulanges took the train daily on average this fall. The Vaudreuil station saw the highest ridership on average, with 778 commuters daily, while the Hudson station had the lowest on average, with 62.
Maintain line to Ste. Anne de Bellevue
Pilon added that if cuts need to be made, he would encourage the ARTM to at least maintain the line connecting Vaudreuil-Soulanges to the West Island.
“When the REM is there, (they should) at least keep the train between Vaudreuil-Dorion and Ste. Anne de Bellevue. And then (passengers) transfer onto the REM. I think that would be OK,” he said, adding that this would at least save his citizens from having to take cars across the bridge into the city.
He pointed out that driving to the Anse à l’Orme REM station in Ste. Anne would not be an option for most Vaudreuil-Soulanges residents, as the station is being constructed to accommodate only 200 parking spaces – not enough for the more than 900 train commuters from Vaudreuil-Dorion alone.
The REM began running test trips between the Anse à l’Orme station and the Des Sources station in Pointe Claire in September. The West Island portion of the REM network – comprised of four stations, with one in Ste. Anne, one in Kirkland and two in Pointe Claire – is expected to be in service by the fall of 2025.